UK – Human Rights
UK – Human Rights Ratifications
There are 9 core international human rights treaties. The UK has signed and ratified 7.
1. International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – CERD (1965)
2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – ICCPR (1966)
3. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – ICESCR (1966)
4. The International Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women – CEDAW (1979)
5. The International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)
6. The International Convention on the Rights of the Child – UNCRC (1989)
7. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – CRPD (2006)
The UK has not signed
• The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2006)
• International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2006)
| Human Rights Instrument : (Date into force) |
Ratification Status | Declaration |
| International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination | Signature: 1966, Ratification/Accession: 1969 | ✓ |
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | Signature: 1968, Ratification/Accession: 1976 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: NA | |
| Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty | Signature: 1999, Ratification/Accession: 1999 | |
| International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | Signature: 1968, Ratification/Accession: 1976 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: NA | |
| Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women | Signature: 1981, Ratification/Accession: 1986 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: 2004 | |
| Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment | Signature: 1985, Ratification/Accession: 1988 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment | Signature: 2003, Ratification/Accession: 2003 | |
| Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) | Signature: 1990, Ratification/Accession: 1991 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict | Signature: 2000, Ratification/Accession: 2003 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography | Signature: 2000, Ratification/Accession: 2009 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: NA | |
| International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: NA | |
| International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance | Signature: NA, Ratification/Accession: NA | |
| Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) | Signature: 2007, Ratification/Accession: 2009 | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Signature: 2009, Ratification/Accession: 2009 |
UK – Human Rights Organisations
UK – Human Rights Links
- 1965: United Nations – International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
- 2019/07: UK Event – United Nations – Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
- 2021: Runnymede Led – Civil Society Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2021)
- 2022: UK Event – United Nations – Fourth Universal Periodic Review: National State Report
- 2024/09: Concluding observations on the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 2025: UK Government – Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill (UK)
- A history of human rights in Britain | EHRC
- Equality and human rights resources for advisers | EHRC
